Child Obesity

THE DEFINITION:

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the diet and exercise habits of your entire family. Treating and preventing childhood obesity helps protect the health of your child now and in the future. -MAYO CLINIC

OK. How?

Well I’ll tell you how. Preparation and time management. I went to college, owned my own restaurant for 7 years, had a 25,000 square foot commissary that did catering, pureed food-packaged it- and delivered it, ran a 100 unit apartment building, have my real estate license, am married with children, involved at the school, class parent,on boards of charities, chairperson for a committee of Town of GB, and I still have too much time on my hands. I’m writing this blog , right.

In my opinion, the first step is feeding the whole family right. Yes, the entire family living in the house not focusing only on the child.

2, is to educate yourself on how food is made nowadays. It is frightening. Food is no longer food. It is really difficult to find fresh and it’s expensive. I watched a movie Food, Inc. It’s extreme and over the top, but it gets the point across. Also, I have my children watching with me the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution.

3, BUY WHAT ROTS.

4, prepare in advance.

5, make a menu each week until you are in a routine.

6, read what is on the menu at school. If the choices are bad, make lunch the night before.

7, make dishes that can last two days.

8, Don’t buy the junk food. If it isn’t in the house, you can’t eat it.

9, repeat the same meals over and over and over again. Why? Because food is fuel for the body. We should eat to live, not live to eat.(Have you heard that before. It’s true).

I am going to give a separate post for the shopping list and for recipes.

By the way, it’s difficult to do. I’m not perfect. Everyone in the family is going to say, not this again, I hate chicken, Can I please have, I don’t like, honey can I have something different…The answer is NO. Not in my kitchen. Don’t feel bad because they will get it. Everybody lies. So they will learn not to come to you for the sweets. Take control of your kitchen.

THE FIRST STEPs:

Switch from white bread & pasta to 100% multi-grain. They will hate it for the first week(12 tries you have to give)

Throw out all juices, sweet milks(chocolate & strawberry)

AND NO SODA!!!!! EVER IN THE HOUSE!!! Quick Note: When you are out and if you or your children are addicted to soda, please drink regular not diet.